Dylan Bettencourt
U-Tatjana Schoenmaker owawina indondo yegolide kuma-Olimpiki futhi ophethe irekhodi lomhlaba le-breaststroke ku-200m, namanje akakukholwa lokho akuzuze emidlalweni yase-Tokyo.
Ngemuva kokuthi ehlulekile ukungena kuma-Olimpiki ase-Rio ka-2016, lo msubathi waseNingizimu Afrika ubezimisele ukuwina e-Tokyo futhi lokho wakwenza – ngendlela egqamile, ngenkathi ewina igolide ku-200m breaststroke futhi ephula irekhodi lomhlaba leminyaka eyishumi.
“Njengentombazanyana uyafisa ukuzuza okuthile okufana nendondo kuma-Olimpiki, kodwa angicabangi ukuthi kulula ukukholwa ukuthi kungenzeka ngempela,” etshela i-BBC Sport Africa.
“Usebenza iminyaka engu-16 ukuze ufinyelele lapho, kodwa isikhathi sivele siphele ngokushesha.”
Indlela enze ngayo lo msubathi oneminyaka engu-24 ubudala ngenkathi ebona ukuthi wephule irekhodi lomhlaba yinto uSchoenmaker kanye neNingizimu Afrika abazoziqhenya ngayo isikhathi eside.
“Ngabheka ibhodi okwesibili okuyilapho engabona khona ukuthi Hhaibo! Ngisanda kwephula irekhodi lomhlaba’,” esho.
Imizwa kaSchoenmaker ivele yaphakama ngesikhathi kunomcimbi wezindondo nabaqeqeshi bakhe bencokola ngokuthi udinga umxhasi wezicubu.
Lo msubathi osemncane uthwale kanzima ukuthola intokozo kulo mdlalo kulandela ukuhluleka kwakhe ukuya e-Rio ngo-2016, kodwa wabuye wavuka ngo-2018 ngesikhathi enqoba izicoco ezimbili kuma-Commonwealth Games kanye nendondo yesiliva kuma-World Championships ngo-2019.
“Uma ngibheka emuva ngenkathi ngineminyaka engu-19 ubudala ngangingenaso isipiliyoni futhi mhlawumbe ngangingakulungele ukuthi ngiye e-Rio. Uma ngibheka emuva angizisoli ngalokho. Kwenza ubone ukuthi uNkulunkulu unecebo ngempela ngawo wonke umuntu,” kusho uSchoenmaker.
Iphupho likaSchoenmaker ukuqinisekisa ukuthi umhlaba wokubhukuda uvula indlela ecacile yalabo abafisa ukufana naye esikhathini esizayo ngokwenza ngcono ukufinyeleleka kwezemidlalo ezindaweni ezazintula amathuba.
“Uma ngingasiza umuntu athole lelo khono eliyisisekelo lokubhukuda, ikakhulukazi labo abangenawo amandla, kungangijabulisa ikakhulukazi njengoba sinezinkinga zokuminza ezindaweni zasemalokishini,” esho.
Umthombo wesithombe: @DailyMaverick